Dispensing humidor



Jan. 15, 1929. 1,698,955

A. E. LUTFRING DISPENSING HUMIDOR' Filed May 18, 1925 WITNESSES r /NVETOR Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES ANTHONY E. LUTFBING, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

DISPENSING HUMIDOR.

Application filed May 18, 1925. Serial No. 31,087.

The invention relates to dispensing humidors, more particularl for use with cigarettes.

An object of the invention is to provide a cigarette humidor of simple and inexpensive construction including means for dis pensing cigarettes one by one as required without materially affecting the humidifying function.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cigarette container with an inclined yielding plate forming the bottom of a cigarette storage space and extending through an opening in a wall of the container adjacent its lower end where it serves to normally close the opening but is movable to expose the opening for permitting the successive removal of cigarettes from the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting the inclined plate to insure the proper feeding of cigarettes from the container.

A further object of the invention is to perfeet details of construction generally.

The invention further consists of the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a dispensing humidor embodying the invention, parts being shown in longitudinal'section; and

Fig. 2 is a front end view thereof.

In these. drawings, 10 indicates a rectangular casing of a width slightly greater than the length of a cigarette, and 11 indicates a slide cover removably mounted thereon and provided with a knob 12 which will serve as a handle to lift the casing and by which the cover may be withdrawn from the casing. The casing may be conveniently constructed of wood, as shown in the drawings, but if desired, may be constructed of cast metal or sheet metal stampings.

A shallow recess 13 is formed in the bottom of the cover 11 to receive a flat pad 14 of absorbent material held in place by a spring ring 15. The absorbent material is moistened after removing the cover from the casing and when the cover is replaced the moistened pad serves to keep the air within the casing in a humid condition.

The front wall 16 of the casing is provided adjacent its lower end with a horizontallyextending opening or slot 17, the upper edge of which is defined by a narrow wedgeshaped portion 18 having an inclined inner surface 19. An inclined spring-metal plate 20 has its lower end extending through the opening 17 and is provided with a hooked opposite end 21 adapted to engage about the upper edge of a mounting plate 22, which extends diagonally between the front and rear walls of the casing with its lower end at the corner of the front wall 16 and the bottom 23. The mounting plate 22'is held in this position against movement by the engagement of the cover 11 with its upper end, thus making unnecessary the use of special fastening means for the plate, although fastening members may be employed, if desired. The spring plate 20 di erges from the plate 22 near its upper end and the tension of the plate effects its engagement with the wedge-shaped portion 18 to thereby close the opening 17 with respect to the space in the casing above the plate.

The spring-plate 20 forms a yielding bottom wall of a humidifying chamber 24 adapted to receive therein a number of cigarettes 25 extending transversely of the casing, the plate being smooth and polished to permit the cigarettes'to slide easily thereon. The front exposed end of thespring-plate 20 is provided with an upwardly extending shoulder portion 26 whch has a ledge 27 projecting forwardly therefrom to form a fingerhold. The spring-plate 20 is provided adjacent its upper end with a bendable transversely extending ridge 28 spaced from the the supporting plate 21. By manipulating or bending the ridge with the fingers it is possible to adjust the effective length of the spring plate 20 and thus adjust the distance between the shoulder portion 26 and the front wall of the casing.

By depressing the front end of the spring plate 20, the opening 17 will be exposed to the cigarettes above the plate and the lowermost cigarette will be urged by gravity through the opening and against the shoulder portion 26. By then releasing the spring-plate it moves upwardly to again close the opening leaving one cigarette exposed and forcing the others upwardly within the casing. The exposed cigarette may then be readily removed as the shoulder portion 26 and ledge 27 are made somewhat shorter than the width of the opening 17 as seen in Fig. 2. The second lowermost cigarette is prevented from leaving the casing as it is forced upwardly along the inclined surface 19 when the spring-plate returned to its upper position. The distance between the shoulder 26 and the front wall 16 of .rette following the one exposed. The sprii plate 20 fits closely within the casing so that a Y the casing is so usted by means of the ridge 28 that there 1s no tendency to pinch the ci 'atogetherwith the spring plate 20 renders the I space below the mounting plate available to receive several unopened packages oicigarettes.

The invention provides a humidor of simple and inexpensive construction by which cigarettes may be keptin proper condition and dispensed one by one asrequircd, thusavoiding unnecessary handling. While the dispensing device of the invention is more particularly intended for cigarettes, it will be obvious that the device my be employed to dispense other articles oi use in a similar manner.

ilvhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l 1. In a cigarette container, the combination or a rectangular casing, an inclined plate di'sposedwithin said casing and extending to wards opposite corners, there being an opening-in one end of said casing above the lower end of said inclined plate,- and an inclined spring plate disposed within said casing and carriedon and above saidinclined plate to form the bottom of a cigarettereceiving chamber, said spring plate having a lower free end ex tending through the opening in said casing and provided with a stop spaced outwardly from the opening to receivesa single cigarette, said free end of the spring plate beingurged upwardly to normally close said openin with respect to said chamber and being movable downwardly to permit the gravity discharge of a cigarette through said opening and against said stop.

2;, In a cigarette container, the combinationlof a casing liavingvan opening in one side wallpresenting upper and lower edges, a resiliently mounted inclined bottom plate disposed within said chamber for supporting cigarettes thereon and having a lower free end extending through said opening and carrying a relatively fixed stop spaced outwardly from said opening a distance sutlicient to accommodate a single cigarette, said plate being normally urged upwardly against the upper edge of said opening and being movable downwardly to predetermined position against the lower edge of said opening to permit the gravity discharge of a single cigarette through said opening and against said stop, and said chamber-forming casing in normal service being imperforate except for said normally closed opening topermit the humiditying of cigarettes within said chamber.

In. a cigarette container, the combination of"a.casing.ihavingvan opening therein,

an inclined spring plate dis'posedwithin said casing to form the bottom of a chamber adapted to receive cigarettes therein, and means for mounting the upper end of said spring plate within the casing, said spring plate having a lower free end extending through said opening and provided with a relatively fixed upwardly projecting part forming a stop, spaced from the apertured wall of the casing slightly more than the diameter of a cigarette, and said free end being urged upwardly tonormally close said opening from said chamber and being movable downwardly to permit the gravity discharge of a cigarette through said opening and against said stop.

4. In a cigarette container, the combination of a casing having an opening therein, and an inclined spring plate carried within said casing to form the bottom of a chamber adapted to receive cigarettes therein and having a lower free end extending through said opening and provided with a shoulder spaced downwardly from said casing, said free end being urged upwardly to normally close said opening from said chamber and being movable downwardly to permit the gravity discharge of a cigarette from said opening and against said shoulder, and said plate having a transverse bendable ridge at its upper portion for adjusting the effective length of said plate to vary the distance between said shoulder and said casing.

5. Ina cigarette container, the combination of a casing having an opening therein, a

cover for said casing, an inclined mounting plate disposed within said casing and held against movement by said cover, and an inclined spring plate secured to the upper end of said mounting plate and extending torwardly and downwardly to form the bottom of a chamber adapted to receive cigarettes therein, said plate having a lower shouldered free end extending through said opening and urged upwardly to normally close said opening from said chamber and being movable downw: :dly to permit the gravity discharge of a cigarette from said chamber through said opening and against said shouldered end. 6. In a ci arette container, the combination of a casing having an opening therein, a cover for said casing, an inclined mounting plate extending to opposite corners within said casing and held therein by said cover. and an inclined spring plate having a hooked upper endengaging the upper edge of said mounting plate and having a yielding portion forming. the bottonrot a chamber adapted to receive cigarettes therein, said plate having a shouldered lower end extending through saidopening and urged upwardly to normal- 1y close said opening from said chamber and movable downwardly to permit the gravity discharge ofa cigarette through'said' opening and against said shouldered end.

7. In a cigarette containel'g. the combina tion of a casing adapted to receive cigarettes therein and having a front wall provided with an opening adjacent its lower end, said front wall having a wedge-shaped portion presenting a narrow edge defining the upper boundary of said opening, an inclined yielding plate secured within said casing to form the bottom of the cigarette chamber and extending downwardly through said opening to normally bear against the upper edge of said opening, and a stop fixed on said plate and spaced from said front wall a predetermined distance for limiting the gravity discharge of cigarettes from said casing to one at the time when said plate is depressed to expose said opening, the following unexposed cigarette being forced upwardly within the casing along the wall of said Wedge-shaped portion when said yielding plate returns to close said opening.

8. In a dispensing container, the combination of a casing having a front wall provided with an opening, an inclined spring plate disposed within said casing to form the bottom of a chamber adapted to receive cylindrical objects therein, and means for fixing the upper end of said inclined plate within said casing, the lower free end of said plate projecting outwardly through said opening and hav ing an integral upstanding flange spaced outwardly from said opening a predetermined distance to form a stop limiting the discharge of said objects to one at the time, said lower free end portion of the plate being urged upwardly to normally close said opening from said chamber and movable downwardly to permit the gravity discharge of a cylindrical object through said opening and against said integral stop flange on said plate.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ANTHONY E. LUTFRING. 

